Diet and Supplement schedule for 2 month old beard

[mshaverly]

Hello,

I just became the owner of a two month old female zero bearded dragon today and her name is Meleys. She is so tiny. I currently have small dubia roaches, medium crickets, mustard greens, collard greens, and shredded carrots for her to eat as that is what the breeder has been feeding her. How often and how much to feed as she grows is the question here. Also, I currently have Calcium with vitamin D, Calcium without vitamin D, Multi-vitamin, and a probiotic on hand that I use for my two year old bearded dragon. Can you give me guidance here? Thank you.

 

[xp29]

As a baby I fed Zsa Zsa twice per day 10 to 20 small roaches each feeding. I dust calcium every day at the first feeding. I add multivitamins to the calcium 2 to 3 times per week. I offer salad every day. If she eats it all, I replenish it. Now that she is older I feed roaches and supers. She gets them once per day. I offer a hornworm or two for hydration most days.
A word of advice, only hand feed the treats (hornworms, silkworms, ect) make her eat her staples from a bowl. They get incredibly spoiled and will later refuse to eat if not hand fed. It makes feeding take much longer, and makes it harder for someone else to look after them if you have to be away.

 

[mshaverly]

Thank you!!!

 

[matojack]

My Pumpkin is now 3 months old. I feed it dubia roaches and crickets 2 - 3 times per day as much as it can eat over 10 min period or when it’s full whichever comes first. First thing in the morning, I feed collards and kale then leave them in the enclosure in a bowl in the off chance I’m away and the next feeding is delayed. We took Pumpkin to a reptile vet right when we got it. The vet said supplements are not necessary because our lighting is setup correctly and it is eating greens high in calcium as well as providing other veggies for nutrition. Even one piece of the greens is enough when they are so little. (Check with your vet though. This forum and many other beardie sites recommend supplements). Be careful not to overdose vitamin D. Our vet said since we have the proper lighting adding vitamin D is not needed. We can dust the food with calcium only a few times per week.

We got our beardie from a breeder at 2 months old. It grew 3” and gained 40 g in one month.

It’s still growing quickly which is very fun to see. Good luck with your beardie. Try not to stress if yours eats so much one day and is not as interested the next. It will eat if it’s hungry.

 

[mshaverly]

Thank you. Today she ate one cricket that was not dusted, 10 small dubious that were dusted with Vitamin D3, chopped collards, mustard greens, a little bit of a shredded carrot and yellow squash. She pooped once so I guess she is at least getting some food. She is skittish but just got here.

 

[matojack]

Thank you. Today she ate one cricket that was not dusted, 10 small dubious that were dusted with Vitamin D3, chopped collards, mustard greens, a little bit of a shredded carrot and yellow squash. She pooped once so I guess she is at least getting some food. She is skittish but just got here.

That’s absolutely fantastic! She sounds like a great eater. Remember to remove any feeders especially to avoid them eating her poop and she eating them. That’s no bueno. I look forward to her progress.

 

[mshaverly]

Oh I always do. And she is pooping everyday! LOL!

 

[mshaverly]

Ok. Thanks to all of you! How often should I give the calcium with vitamin D3 and how often should I give the calcium without vitamin D3? So multi-vitamin 3 times per week? How about a probiotic and how often? I really like the dubia roaches for her. I am not so crazy about the crickets and she isn't that fond of them either. They are annoying to catch. I am wondering if I should get some BSFs or maybe some kind of a worm to put a little fat on her. This morning she ate a lot of greens and a small bite of carrot along with some yellow squash. I didn't put any calcium powder on it. At noon I will offer her bugs with calcium powder (with or without the D3?) Then about 5:00 I will offer her bugs with no supplement? Her skin seems wrinkly and makes me wonder if she is losing weight or dehydrated. I sprayed her salad with a mist of water and she ate it. I have a small dish of water in her vivarium. Should I soak her?

 

[mshaverly]

She is eating only about 12 bugs per day.

 

[xp29]

She looks a bit dehydrated, maybe offer her some appropriate sized hornworms to help with that. With good uvb the d3 is negligible. The uvb triggers them to produce thete own.
I dust in the morning personally, but as long as they sit under the uvb it probably is just more personal preference.

 

[mshaverly]

I got her poop softened up by feeding her a few very small hornworms and itty bitty silk worms. It is normal now. She ate her veggies this morning but has eaten only 2 dubia roaches and one silkworm so far today. But she has pooped twice today.

 

[matojack]

Ok. Thanks to all of you! How often should I give the calcium with vitamin D3 and how often should I give the calcium without vitamin D3? So multi-vitamin 3 times per week? How about a probiotic and how often? I really like the dubia roaches for her. I am not so crazy about the crickets and she isn't that fond of them either. They are annoying to catch. I am wondering if I should get some BSFs or maybe some kind of a worm to put a little fat on her. This morning she ate a lot of greens and a small bite of carrot along with some yellow squash. I didn't put any calcium powder on it. At noon I will offer her bugs with calcium powder (with or without the D3?) Then about 5:00 I will offer her bugs with no supplement? Her skin seems wrinkly and makes me wonder if she is losing weight or dehydrated. I sprayed her salad with a mist of water and she ate it. I have a small dish of water in her vivarium. Should I soak her?

I offered my 2 month old feeders three times per day plus greens. She might eat a little more if offered more frequently. For hydration, you could use a pipet to put water in her snout too. Good luck.

 

[mshaverly]

Thanks. I have gotten her to drink using a very small syringe. I feed her three times per day. Just not eating very many bugs. She likes her greens and yellow squash.